older 105 front hub service dilemma

[eddief]

i am a fair weather rider. have been through many bikes in the last 10 years. have not done much hub servicing, but think i know how to do it.

this is on a 105 front hub. removed locknut and cone on one side. slid out the axle to the other side. left other side cone and locknut on the axle. removed and cleaned the balls. cleaned cup surfaces. greased the hell out of both cups. reinserted balls. put some extra grease over the top of balls. slid axle back into hub. all balls still in the right places. threaded removed cone/dust cap back onto axle and then the locknut.

when i tighten the the locknut against the cone and leave just barely any play in the system (axle turning not super freely, sorta tight) then play with it in my hand, it seems to loosen up a bit more. but then when i quick release into the front fork there is side to side play when i wiggle the wheel at the top.

i've redone cone/locknut a bunch of times and still can't get the wheel mounted without side to side wiggle. when i serviced the rear hub earlier today that one was successful.

could the hub be worn out?
would replacing balls and cones help?
could the axle be bent?
too many variables to be able to give advice?

[zmudshark]

http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=105

[eddief]

thinking hub might be toasted.

[palincss]

You could always just bring it down to the LBS, let them figure it out...

[TAW]

Sometimes older hubs just don't feel super smooth. Have you checked the ball bearings to make sure none of them are pitted/worn? If you're really intent on making this work, go down to your LBS. Most of them have ball bearings which would work. Basically that's the only thing that can go wrong with these.

[eddief]

hub in question is 5501.

had another one sitting around that was 5500.

disassembled 5500 and its axle had orings stuck on it in two places. the 5501 had no orings on the axle when i took it out of the hub. (maybe this hub/wheel has been wanky the whole time and i just noticed today.)

subbed the 5500 axle with cones into the 5501 and it adjusted properly after two tries.

i don't know why it worked, but that job is done for the time being.

LBS was next step, but saved by the nick of ninkompoopness.

[pbjbike]

Except for old Campagnolo, always leave the cone adjustment a wee bit loose. It will tighten up when you close down the QR.

hub in question is 5501.

had another one sitting around that was 5500.

disassembled 5500 and its axle had orings stuck on it in two places. the 5501 had no orings on the axle when i took it out of the hub. (maybe this hub/wheel has been wanky the whole time and i just noticed today.)

subbed the 5500 axle with cones into the 5501 and it adjusted properly after two tries.

i don't know why it worked, but that job is done for the time being.

LBS was next step, but saved by the nick of ninkompoopness.

[John M]

hub in question is 5501.
(maybe this hub/wheel has been wanky the whole time and i just noticed today.)

Agree with your parenthetical conclusion.

If maladjustment went away with a different axle/cones, it indicates that the problem is that the 5501 cones are probably shot--likely asymmetrically worn. Get a new set of cones and you can probably use the same axle back into the 5500 hub shell. The o rings have no function in the adjustment. When you reassemble, consider using new bearings also.

[eddief]

using a magnifying glass. Could not see wankiness. Suffice it to say, the substituted axle and its cones have the hub feeling smooth and no wiggle with wheel installed in QR.

substitute hub came off of an older 20 inch recumbent wheel with a cracked rim. so no big deal to have scavenged the parts.

[purplecu22]

Bearings after sometime become oval. It could take a couple of adjustments to re-align them or better just replace with grade 25, then you will almost be up to dura-standards. I have a set of DA hubs frome 89, same thing happened. Just replaced bearing good as new

[eddief]

maybe that is what was going on. i could tighten the cones down and then the lock nut...and then the axle would barely spin. but as i played with it until my fingers hurt, the axle started to loosen up and spin more freely. then when i put it on the bike it got wiggly. so maybe all that was due to the bearings realigning as they worked into position. who'd a thunk?

that still does not explain why replacing the axle and cones, but not the bearings worked so well????? i'm ok with it just working at this time.